Orestis Tsalapatanis

Orestis Tsalapatanis was a prolific composer, songwriter and pianist. He was born in Karlovasi of Samos, in 1884. It is unknown when he came to Constantinople, where he studied music. He was director and organizer of orchestral music at the court of Sultan Abdülhamit the Second, for three years. After 1922, he came to Hellas. He taught at the Music School of the Ministry of War. He wrote theoretical books on European and Byzantine music with musicological analysis (unknown if they were ever published). Until 1955, he composed 837 works, numbering every score, from chamber music and pianistic to simple songs for voice and piano, in both scholar and light genre. Known works of his are: 01) Une Nuit A St. Stefano (One Night At St Stephen's): polka mazourka for piano 02) Ι Kamomatou (Τhe Artful): song for voice and piano in lyrics by P. Lambrinidis (dedicated to Miss I. Karali) 03) La Jeunesse (The Youth): big waltz for piano 04) L' Infidelite (Infidelity): polka lounge (“Polka de Salon”) for piano 05) Par’ Tin Kardia Mou (Take My Heart): song for voice and piano 06) Stin Evmorfia Tis (To her beauty): song for voice and piano in lyrics by G. Lamprynidis 07) Deniz: march for brass band 08) Orfaneia (Orphans): song for voice and piano in lyrics by A. Zampelis 09) Fevgo Me Ton Pono Stin Kardia (I Am Leaving With Pain In The Heart): serenate for voice, flute or violin and piano in lyrics by N. Vlyssidis 10) Le Plus Doux Baisers (The Sweetest Kisses): waltzes (“Valse lente”) for piano 11) Tes Epochis Ta Koritsakia (Modern Girls): foxtrot song for voice and piano in lyrics by F. Stefanidis 12) Mono Se Me (Only To Me): for voice and piano, in lyrics by N. Vlyssidis 13) Mi Me Ligonis (Don’t Be So Sweet): song for voice and piano in lyrics by X.X. 14) I Birbilio: arrangement of the folk song for choir and mandolin orchestra or mandolin and guitar 15) Vah Çoban Yűz Verdin Emineye (Alas To The Shepherd Who Gave Emine Away): Turkish song for voice and piano in lyrics by A.I. Şensoy 16) To Nisiotaki Tis Konstantinoupoleos (The Island-Boy Of Constantinople): song for voice and piano in D. Vitalis’s lyrics, devoted to the National Music Collection Committee (1915) 17) Trelli Xanhtoula (Crazy Blondie): song for voice and piano in G. Lamprynidis’s lyrics 18) Mian Monin Potho Kai Latrevo (I Desire And Adore Only One): song for voice and piano in lyrics by I. Tsakasianos (1935) He arranged, also for voice and piano or for choir, several folk songs, using the pseudonym Ts. Tsero. Several of his works were issued by the music houses Andria, Nomismatidis and Christidis in Constantinople, Gaitanos and Fexis in Athens and Apollo Music Co. in New York. Two 78-rpm releases with voice-recordings are also known: 1) Thelo Monacha (I Only Want): for choir and mandolin orchestra, 2) Me Xehases (You Forgot Me): with N. Moraitis and “Bakaliaros” (Cod) comic song with the singer George Savaris (1880-1949)